


Someone Under Stress Meets Someone Looking Pretty

by kikitheslayer



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Debate Team, Alternate Universe - High School, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Femslash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-08 15:56:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5503820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kikitheslayer/pseuds/kikitheslayer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Senior year. Angelica is president of the debate team. And as much as she hates the woman her crush cheated on her sister with, she's not above admitting that they won't win nationals without her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Angelica stood behind the teacher’s desk of the large classroom. In the front row of desks lounged several loudly talking students. “Hey,” she said in a commanding voice, raising her hands, “everybody pay attention for a minute?”

Slowly, the other students came to order.

“Thanks,” she said dryly. “I'm just reminding you all that I'll be posting your topics for the next debate after school on Wednesday. Now, if you guys want to stick around to see who Alex is fucking tonight, that's fine, but I’m going home.” She waved, grabbed her backpack and purse, and started for the door.

One hand on the doorframe, she paused, and looked over her shoulder. “Put Washington’s chairs up, okay?”

“Hold on,” said Adrienne, standing up and hurriedly shuffling several papers into her backpack. “I’ll walk with you.”

Angelica smiled and hung back until the other woman had collected her own things and joined her. 

\--

Adrienne was a tall, fashionable student. She was usually dressed in beautifully sewn dresses and had perfectly manicured nails. Still, she was the farthest thing from a snob, and Angelica didn’t feel the least bit awkward walking next to her in faded jeans, a pink blouse, and a cheap backup covered with buttons with slogans such as “my body, my choice.”

Their shoes echoed on the linoleum of the deserted hallways. “That was pretty savage,” Adrienne said.

Angelica almost giggled at the sound of the words in the other woman’s French accent. She stopped herself and instead said, “It’s topical.”

“It’s rude. Come on, mon cher, you hold grudges too much. You and Alex were close, remember?”

“I wasn't being rude,” Angelica protested. “I'm genuinely interested in whether he goes home with Aaron, John, or Jeffs. I'm making Herc text me.” She paused, crossed and uncrossed her arms. “And even if I did hold grudges, which I don't, don't you think this is something worth holding a grudge over?”

Adrienne shrugged. “Of course. But he feels terrible. And even Eliza is -- what do you say -- over it. This is maybe more than just you feel angry at him for doing it.”

“No,” replied Angelica, picking a piece of lint off her jeans, “There's nothing I'm angry about that everyone else isn't.”

“Really? So you don't care that he slept around with someone other than you? I mean, this time three semesters ago you were head-over-heels for him.”

Angelica hiked up the backpack she was carrying over one shoulder. “People change. They cheat on your sisters. And I definitely do not wish it had been me to break her heart.”

Adrienne’s smile softened. “Of course not. But I only want my friends to be happy, see? Laf and I--”

Angelica rolled her eyes. Leave it to the only French exchange students in the school to fall in love.

“Are completely in love. I get it. But look, I'm fine. Alex is clearly fine… If anything, you should be giving this speech to Laurens.”

Adrienne shot her a wink. “What makes you think I haven't?”

Angelica shoved open the door, and they stepped into the parking lot. “I’m taking the bus today,” said Angelica. “Look, I’ll text you later, okay?”

Adrienne smiled. “Of course.”

Angelica quickly kissed both of Adrienne’s cheeks before she started over the lawn. 

\--

Angelica stepped onto the bus just as the mechanical doors closed. She slipped a bus pass into the slot, waved at the driver, and started a little shakily down the hall of the already moving bus.

She scanned the aisles until she finally came to an empty seat, right at the back. She paused momentarily. The woman sitting next to the open spot was wearing a black hoodie and jeans. She was hunched over, earbuds in. She was writing something in a red spiral.

Angelica suppressed a sigh as she sat down next to Maria Reynolds.

Angelica shifted away from Maria and pulled a book out of her purse. This didn’t have to suck.

“What are you reading?”

Angelica cringed at the interruption, but she turned, holding up the book so Maria could see. “Common Sense.”

Maria raised an eyebrow and snorted. “What kind of AP History shit is that?”

Angelica bristled. “It’s not for school. But then, how would you know? Didn’t you get suspended again?”

Mariah straightened up in her seat. “I've been at school.”

Angelica tried not to let her confusion bleed through. “I haven't seen you at debate.”

Maria shrugged, pulling a foot onto her seat and resting her arm on top of it. “Quit. Not my scene.”

“You quit,” dead panned Angelica. She dropped the hand holding the book. “We've been debating together since freshman year.”

“So? It's not personal. I’m a busy person.”

“You have to debate,” said Angelica, leaning forward and trying to keep an edge of desperation out of her voice. “We need you.”

Angelica smirked. “So you finally admit it.”

Angelica opened her mouth and shut it again. Finally, she swallowed and said clearly, “You’re a good debater. We might go to nationals. We need you on the team.”

Maria finally turned all the way in the cushy seat, lowering the volume on her phone and meeting Angelica’s eyes. “You’ve got two meets left, right? Before you qualify?”

Angelica nodded. “You’ve missed, what? A few weeks of meetings? You’d have to study a little harder, but we could get you caught up.”

Maria tucked some of her thick brown behind her ear. “You sure know how to win a girl over.”

Angelica shrugged. “You’re not an idiot, Maria. And I know you’re not flunking.”

The bus came to a halting stop, and Maria leaned down and riffled through her brown bag, keeping one eye on Angelica.

Angelica’s hand shot out and tugged lightly on Maria’s arm. “What do you think?”

Maria scanned her as she stood up. “I’ll think about it. See you, Angie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING.
> 
> Anyway the RP group on tumblr drove me to this. Come follow me at either ask-john-church or georges-walk-is-better-than-u. 
> 
> Title from "Say No to This" in Hamilton.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is as good a time as any to point out that:
> 
> 1\. I have never been in debate.
> 
> 2\. The timeline for this story is probably going to be fucked.

Angelica was left alone with her book, but her eyes drifted listlessly over the words, not absorbing anything. She closed it and gazed at the cover. It was second hand, a little worn around the binding. The image on the cover was a warm brown, depicting a smiling old white dude sitting with crossed legs and a pamphlet in one hand. It did look pretty boring.

But that’s what people always saw about history. They saw it as a long list of dates and facts to memorize, boring people doing boring things that just didn’t matter anymore. Angelica didn’t know why they couldn’t see history for what it was: the best, most interesting stories written, and they had all really happened. 

Angelica was a textbook overachiever. When her teachers didn’t cut it, she researched on her own. She had an arsenal of stories from history that were funnier/cooler/more fucked up than anything in her day-to-day.

But like any good student, she knew that history was far from a perfect subject. Billions of people had existed, and statistically only the smallest handful got remembered in any substantial way. How many stories were lost because the wrong people died, the wrong people lived, the wrong people remembered? Angelica felt the loss of their accounts acutely, an ache in her chest like a vast ocean threatening to tear her apart if the waves got too high. 

She took it upon herself to study the present, too.

Peggy called all of this an overwrought justification as to why Angelica was allowed to enjoy gossip.

Angelica disagreed. She didn’t go around believing things just because someone told her. She backed up her sources. She only believed in cold, objective facts, and it made her lethal on the debate team.

At that moment, Angelica started to make a list of five things she knew objectively.

1\. During the second semester of Angelica’s senior year, Eliza Schuyler has dated Alexander Hamilton.

2\. Alexander Hamilton had repeatedly cheated on Eliza with Maria Reynolds.

3\. Around the start of the third semester, Maria’s boyfriend, James Reynolds (coincidence), started spreading rumors.

4\. Alexander responded to the rumors with an essay published via thirty consecutive tweets explaining, in more detail than strictly necessary, exactly how he had broken Eliza’s heart.

5\. It was Angelica’s arms that held Eliza while she cried, it was Angelica’s text that stopped Alexander’s stream of tweets early, and it was Angelica’s diary that was stained with tears and smeared ink and the words “fuck him.”

But speculation had a place in history, too, and so just for symmetry, Angelica also compiled a list of five things she was unable to prove, and merely felt, in her heart, were the truth.

1\. Eliza Schuyler was the sweetest, kindest person in all of Betsy Ross High.

2\. Alexander Hamilton had never thought of anyone but himself, and Angelica was the only person to realize it.

3\. Maria Reynolds was a poor excuse for a human being.

4\. Debate was Angelica’s primary extracurricular. It was her ticket to a good college.

5\. Maria Reynolds was smart, feisty, and possibly even beat out Alexander in an argument. She was Angelica’s equal, and they needed her.

Angelica ran a hand through her hair and pulled out her phone, typing a text to Lafayette.

**Angelica, 3:50 pm**

[I need all the stuff from the last four weeks of debate. ASAP]

Maria Reynolds would quit over her dead body.


	3. Chapter 3

Maria was lying on her stomach on her bed, typing diligently, when her phone rang. For the third time that evening. She heaved a sigh and picked up. “Your persistence is a little intimidating. You know that right?”

The voice on the other end was slightly distorted, but the indignation came through. “Um, my persistence is endearing as hell.”

Maria flopped away from her laptop and against the pillows at the head of the bed. She crossed her legs and ran a hand through her hair. “I mean, that’s one way to put it. I didn't even know smartphones still had a call function.”

“Well,” Angelica replied, “you can ignore a text.”

Although she knew she couldn't be seen, Maria’s hand flew to her chest. “Why, Angie, I would never.”

When Angelica spoke next, Maria could hear the smile in her voice. “Look, you're not busy, right?”

“Just writing the essay for Ben. Let me guess, you finished on Saturday?”

“Nah, Tuesday.”

“Angelica the Great finished an essay four days after it was assigned? Wow. What’d I miss?”

“Apparently not much if you’re still using that dumb nickname.”

Maria put a finger to her cheek. “Methinks the lady doth protest too much.”

“Please. Let me start calling you Maria the…” There was a pause. “I don't know. Let's just give you a lame nickname, see how you like it.”

“Okay, see, you complain now, but the second someone realized that they could call him “Alexander the Great” you would have wanted to stab someone. I just took a preventative measure.”

Another pause. “Of course,” said Angelica flatly. “Because you hate Alex, right?”

Maria was silent. She licked her lips, drumming her fingers on her leg.

“Maria?”

“Is this how it’s going to be until we graduate?” she asked. She sat up, her back away from the wall, and leaned forward as if talking conspiratorially. “You’re nice to me until you remember not to be?”

“Maria--” Angelica started but cut herself off abruptly. When she spoke next it was all business. “Let’s not do this. Meet me at lunch tomorrow. Qualifiers for nationals are in two weeks. I’ve got the topics list, and all the preparation material you’ve missed. I’ll help you study. Winning will look good on your transcript.”

Maria leaned back down. “Okay. Help me study. But answer me a question, okay? As a courtesy.”

“Yeah?”

“What happens when you realize you actually like me?”

Angelica voice was light, full of mirth, and it almost made Maria smile. Almost. “I look out my window for the incoming meteor, of course!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, lovely tumblr user impossible-barry gave me some info on debate, so expect roughly ~20% less inaccuracy! Yay!
> 
> Also, the "Ben" mentioned in Benjamin Franklin. Idk why, I just feel like he's a teacher who would go by his first name.


End file.
